© Urmila Goel, www.urmila.de, September 2007
Discourses on ‘arranged marriages’
in GermanyOn the interdependency of racism and
heteronormativity
Dr. Urmila GoelEuropa-Universität Viadrina in Frankfurt/Oder
and University of BergenBergen, 13th September 2007
source: http://www.taz.de
© Urmila Goel, www.urmila.de, September 2007
Elizabeth George: Deception on his mind
• „They‘d merely been incapable of seeing them, blindedby their own preconceptions
• of what sort of woman would submit herself to an arranged marriage in the first place.
• She would be docile, they had thought.• She would have no mind of her own. • She would give her will over to the care of others• – father first, husband second, elder brothers, if there
were any, third –• and she would be unable to take an action even when an
action might have been called for.“New York: Bantham Books, 2004, 697
© Urmila Goel, www.urmila.de, September 2007
Structure
1. Why talk about discourses on ‘arranged marriages’?
2. Discourses on ‘arranged marriages’ in Germany
3. Interdependency of racism and heteronormativity
4. Consequences for the racialised
© Urmila Goel, www.urmila.de, September 2007
Urmila Goel
• researcher in cultural and social anthropology• affiliated to European University Viadrina in
Frankfurt/Oder, Germany• visiting scholar at University of Bergen• research interest:
– dealing with experiences of racism– perspective of the racialised– interdependency of racism and heteronormativity
© Urmila Goel, www.urmila.de, September 2007
Talking about ‚arranged marriages‘• on the internet portal http://www.theinder.net
– which is a space of young people marked as Indians in Germany
• repeated discussions about ‚arranged marriages‘
• in interviews defensive about the ‚arranged marriages‘ of their parents
25.01.06 „Selbstbestimmung bei der Heirat“
© Urmila Goel, www.urmila.de, September 2007
Lines of arguments
• react in diverse ways to the topic– condemning– denying– differentiating– renaming– defending
• countering accusations
20.10.02 „Heirat oder Verkuppelung“
„relict from the stone age“
„good and bad sides“
„there is a market“
„different forms“„Indian traditions“
© Urmila Goel, www.urmila.de, September 2007
Source: http://www.zwangsheirat.de/(Zwangsheirat = forced marriage)
Contextualise discussionsin public discourses in ‚Germany‘
• condemnation of forced marriages• equated with ‚arranged marriages‘• ascribed to ‚foreigners‘ (in particular ‚Muslims‘)• public image of the ‚other‘ constructed• impact on/ implemented in legislation and policy
„Government passes morerestrictive immigration law“
„... until death parts us“
The new law shallprotect women fromforced marriages byrestricting family reunion…“
© Urmila Goel, www.urmila.de, September 2007
• condemnation of ‚arranged marriages‘• framed as an issue of
– women‘s rights– and cultural difference
• the ‚other‘ constructed as – homogenous– traditional, undemocratic, violating women‘s rights, etc.– inferior
• the ‚own‘ constructed as– differentiated– civilised, democratic, ensuring gender equality, etc. – superior
• ‚our‘ task– to save the ‚other‘ woman from the ‚other‘ man– by excluding them
Lines of arguments in publicdiscourses in ‚Germany‘
© Urmila Goel, www.urmila.de, September 2007
What effect do the discoursesabout ‚arranged marriages‘ have?
• establish the superiority of ‚us‘ – by setting the concept of heterosexual monogamous
love marriage as norm– claiming it as the ‚white‘ practice
• ignoring– the heterogeneity of ‚white‘ practices– the complexities of ‚arranged marriages‘– the heterogeneity among the racialised
• legitimise exclusion of the racialised– because the ‚other‘ discriminate women
© Urmila Goel, www.urmila.de, September 2007
Racist constructions of genderrelations in Germany
• the ‚other‘ – is heterosexual (homophob)– has a (forced) arranged marriage– women are subservient– men are dominant– are guided by collective
• ‚we‘– are much more complex– act individually– have the right/ the obligation to interfere– as our norms are the universal ones
© Urmila Goel, www.urmila.de, September 2007
Cultures of dominance(Birgit Rommelspacher)
• organisation of society in terms of superiority and inferiority
• network of different dimensions of power• omnipresent, multidimensional and invisible• no simple dichotomy of oppressors vs.
oppressed • inequality denied • and accepted as natural• segregation implemented implicitly• struggle for privileges
© Urmila Goel, www.urmila.de, September 2007
Stabilisation of normsin Germany
• struggle of the deprivileged– to escape from devaluation– to participate in privileges
• ‘white’ feminists and queers– ascribe sexism and homophobia to the
racialised• racialised elites
– demand conformance to a fixed common culture
© Urmila Goel, www.urmila.de, September 2007
Position of the racialisedin Germany
• their struggles with heteronomative pressures• framed by racist discourses• decisions concerning intimate relationships
– always linked to positioning in racist system– linked to value judgements about ascribed community– challenge community solidarity
• talking about ‚arranged marriage‘ in Germany– not primarily about heteronormative pressure– but also about dealing with experiences of racism
• condemnation of ‚arranged marriages‘ in Germany doesnot:– promote gender equality– challenge heteronormativity
© Urmila Goel, www.urmila.de, September 2007
Thank you!
More information on www.urmila.de
• „We never thought it [the murder, ug] could have been the means to an end having nothing to do with anything that we– as Westerners, as bloody Westerners –could possibly hope to understand.“
Elizabeth George: Deception on his mindNew York: Bantham Books, 2004, 698
